There is a frequent need to center medical instruments or delivery devices such as catheters or wires during surgical procedures. For example, during endovascular interventions it is desired to reliably, accurately and robustly position an intervention device within the body channel, such as when attempting to clear atherosclerotic plaque which can build up on artery walls. It is also desirable to first engage the middle of a lesion within a vascular channel with an instrument before controllably retracting in order to reduce the risk of sub-intimal entry or perforation.
Catheters are used ubiquitously in medical procedures. For example, catheters are used to diagnose many abnormalities, to treat vascular disease, to perform vascular interventions, to deliver devices to occlude vessels and to focally deliver agents to tissues. The catheter technology employed will vary depending on the surgical procedure and the nature and extent of the injury. Many times the stability of the catheter tip is not problematic or critical to the procedure, but routinely the stability of the catheter tip is indeed important to the success of the particular procedure. In many cases a “guide” catheter is inserted and the tip is placed within or near the orifice of the vessel intended to be treated.
The typical approach to center a medical instrument or delivery device, such as catheters, within a body channel or secure its robust positioning involves guiding by balloons or deflection of the instrument sheath itself. Such an approach is difficult to safely and accurately control, and generally does not effectively center the medical instrument.
Therefore, it is desired to have a device and method of reliably, accurately and effectively centering a medical instrument or delivery device such as a catheter or wire during surgical procedures.